Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 203 Chickens Have Their Own Way, Children Play with Demons

Jiang Yi naturally had no doubts.

With this arrangement, these boys grew up eating, drinking, and practicing together, and naturally developed an extraordinary bond through constant exposure and interaction.

In the path of spiritual cultivation, those who have attained enlightenment are always given priority.

With his grandson's exceptional talent and status as the direct descendant, it would be only a natural outcome for him to stand out among this group and become the leader.

However, Jiang Yi couldn't quite figure out why they were going to such lengths.

However, if I can't figure it out, I'll stop thinking about it.

He trusted the old ancestor of the Liu family who was serving in heaven.

The fact that he was able to secure this opportunity for future generations to guard the mountain and accumulate merit demonstrates his foresight and extraordinary methods.

Moreover, the previous plague that swept the world was completely wiped out by the Tushita Palace through the help of that girl Wenya, making them rich both inside and out.

As the person directly involved, that ancestor's status in heaven must have risen accordingly.

Given their status, it's not surprising that they know some secrets unknown to others and can make some seemingly outrageous arrangements.

Jiang Yi's mind raced, but he ultimately shook his head, a faint smile appearing on his face.

He gathered his thoughts, took out several bottles of newly acquired pills, and turned to go inside.

The little guy was sleeping soundly, so he didn't disturb him. He simply took out a Warming Marrow Pill, dissolved it with Yin and Yang energies, and gently touched it between the little eyebrows with his fingertip.

The medicine's effects are like a gentle spring breeze and nourishing rain, silent and subtle, like a gentle rain nourishing all things.

……

The days flowed by like a mountain stream, neither hurried nor slow, and in the blink of an eye, another year had passed.

The territory of Liangjie Village has been expanded outward by another hundred acres or so.

The scent of freshly turned earth mixed with the fragrance of green grass, carried on the wind, brings a sense of peace and tranquility.

The Jiang family's large granaries, which had been empty due to the drought, are now fully stocked again, with the golden grains almost overflowing from the top.

Not satisfied with that, they built two more later.

When granaries are full, people can't help but have other ideas.

Looking at the mountain of grain, Jiang Yi had a sudden thought and decided to raise more chickens.

So he went to the henhouse and picked out a few round, shiny eggs, which hatched into several broods of fluffy chicks.

Fortunately, he is now financially secure, so he no longer needs to worry about these trivial matters.

The newly hatched flock of chickens was simply handed over to the old Taoist spirit chicken that had previously gained sentience to take care of.

After all, when it comes to the science of raising chickens, no matter how much thought people have, there's still a significant gap between them and the real world.

Chickens understand chickens best.

Jiang Yi was happy to have some free time, so he simply became a hands-off manager.

These chickens are no longer a disorganized bunch; they've become like a small, self-contained world.

The three races—Red, Gold, and Green—each occupy a corner, standing in a tripartite balance, orderly and disciplined.

The newly hatched chicks are initially managed and fed by all three groups.

Once they have shed their downy feathers and grown wings, those ancestors will personally take to the field.

They would pick out the best chicks from the pile, those with exceptional potential and bright eyes, and take them under their wing, teaching them some basic breathing techniques to help them awaken their intelligence.

Once you enter the gates of the three clans, you'll ascend to heaven in one step, and from then on, you'll no longer be just an ordinary chicken.

As for those that are left over, they have no choice but to accept their fate and return to being ordinary domestic poultry.

They forage for food at sunrise and return to their nests at sunset, waiting for the day they are dragged into the kitchen and turned over in the oil.

Those spirit chickens that have gained sentience have long since taken on a different form.

They might stand on a high branch in the orchard, or stroll atop a fence, looking down at their kin below, fighting tooth and nail for a scrap of food.

His eyes were indifferent, devoid of any pity or sympathy.

In their eyes, those creatures below that only know how to dig for food are no different from the earthworms that were dug up from the ground.

Just as when people look at monkeys in the mountains, although they may resemble each other to some extent, they are ultimately not the same species.

Jiang Yi understood this principle, so he never interfered in the affairs of the chickens.

All things in heaven and earth follow their own way, and they naturally live and roam freely.

The large group of miscellaneous birds that Jiang Yi had casually gathered back then had survived for quite some years in the spiritually rich soil and water of the Jiang family's backyard.

Although they are not yet at the stage of formal enlightenment and cultivation, their feathers are bright and shiny, and they are more energetic than when they first arrived.

Knowing how to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune, and knowing which place has abundant energy, they moved their nests from the foot of the mountain to the orchard early on, settling down among the dense foliage and living there endlessly.

This flock of birds, some big, some small.

The larger ones are useful for patrolling the forest, driving away snakes, and chasing away rodents and insects;

Small in size, with sharp and agile mouths, they specialize in catching fruit insects, often more skillfully than a human hand.

However, these are not considered real skills.

More importantly, having such a ragtag group of people constantly making noise and disruptive noise keeps the three races of spirit chickens on edge.

They knew that this huge backyard didn't necessarily need them.

This job isn't something they can hold onto alone.

On the other hand, Jiang Yi also used the Gujin Gang to spread the word, encouraging the villagers to raise more chickens and ducks.

More than a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

The atmosphere in Liangjie Village is becoming increasingly different.

Those young men who received the teachings from the Liu family have gradually improved their cultivation, and their demeanor reveals a certain composure.

Every day, Master Liu would lead his newly recruited young disciples in practicing martial arts in the training ground, shouting and demonstrating their skills with each move.

As for the fields and fences in the village, there are now many more chickens and ducks.

These newly added birds waddled around, not panicking at the sight of people, and just busy themselves with scavenging for food and pecking at the mud.

It seems that these elements also contributed to the new look of Liangjie Village.

In the blink of an eye, Jiang Chao, the great-grandson of Yingchoujian, had already turned three.

On this day, the lecture at the ancestral hall had just ended, and the crowd filed out.

Jiang Yi was tidying up several scrolls of scriptures when he suddenly heard someone call out from behind him:
"Father."

Turning around, he saw that Jiang Liang hadn't left; his spirit had caught up.

"Hmm?" Jiang Yi responded.

"A message came from Eagle Sorrow Gorge." Jiang Liang hesitated slightly before continuing, "They asked when Father would be free to bring Chao'er back."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi paused slightly in his movements, his brows furrowing involuntarily.

"Are they in such a hurry to send someone away?"

The two families initially agreed that the child would be raised to three or five years old before being brought to Liangjie Village for education.

He originally thought that he should let the child stay with his parents for a while longer, because the bond between blood relatives is something that can be strengthened every day.

Unexpectedly, the other side urged them first.

Jiang Liang smiled wryly and shook his head slightly.

“It’s not that Qin’er and the others don’t love the child.” He lowered his voice, “It’s just that the child… can’t stand it over there.”

"Can't stay still?" Jiang Yi looked up.

Jiang Liang sighed and slowly began to explain:

“Father, you know that the Gui family is ultimately a lineage of ghost immortals, and Ning’er also has half yin blood flowing in her veins. But Chao’er, this child, was born with the destiny of pure yang fire…”

Before he finished speaking, Jiang Yi already understood perfectly.

Yang fire overcomes yin evil; this has been true since ancient times.

The child possessed an innate fiery nature, which clashed with the yin energy of his mother's family.

At such a young age, their minds and souls are not yet stable. To stay in such a place for a long time is no different from throwing a hot iron into an ice cave, suffering day and night.

No wonder they said they "couldn't stay still".

Jiang Yi already had a plan in mind, and no longer hesitated.

Back in the house, he only instructed Liu Xiulian: "Find a clean room, lay out new bedding, and replace all the belongings with new ones." After saying this, he said no more, walked out from the backyard, and stood in the courtyard.

With a flick of his sleeves, he muttered an incantation and pinched his fingertips together.

In an instant, a white cloud appeared on the horizon, neither too big nor too small, just big enough for one person to sit cross-legged.

A cloud drifted down and landed three feet in front of him, docile as a familiar cat in the yard.

Jiang Yi didn't stand on ceremony and stepped onto it.

The clouds then gently lifted him up and carried him leisurely towards Eagle's Sorrow Gorge.

In recent years, he has been practicing breathing exercises by the Lingquan Spring and under the peach trees every day, without interruption regardless of wind or rain.

Much of the stagnant energy that had accumulated in my body over the years has been purified away.

Jiang Jin stumbled upon this Cloud Summoning Technique while casually flipping through medical books, and now he has mastered it to perfection.

The yin and yang energies within him seemed to resonate somewhat with the heavens, earth, clouds, and water.

Although he broke through to the next realm late, his foundation was still heavily impure, and his cultivation was far less refined than that of his own daughter and son-in-law.

But once he activated this method, he found it even easier than the young couple.

The two summoned clouds, or rather, they came with great momentum and speed, yet they were as turbulent as wild horses;
It may be as solid and heavy as a mountain, stable but not easy to control.

How could anyone compare to him?

A cloud arrives, as docile as a lamb, as stable as a chair.

Sitting up there, you can leisurely look down and admire the scenery, which is quite interesting.

As the clouds rose, the mountains and rivers beneath our feet seemed to slowly recede like a scroll painting.

Time flies by unnoticed, yet the journey has become incredibly swift.

In just two or three days, the mountain range, stretching like a snake, had already appeared in the distance.

As was customary, Jiang Yi first descended from the clouds and landed above Eagle Sorrow Gorge, exchanging a few pleasantries with Third Prince Ao.

Having said what had been said before, he strolled leisurely down the river towards the water god temple.

After a few years, the temple had changed its appearance.

The white walls and vermilion paint, though not of the highest quality, were still bright and attractive.
The broken tiles on the roof were patched up neatly;
The two old locust trees in front of the door, which were half-dead, have now sprouted new buds, adding a touch of vitality.

The reputation of the temple keeper for helping people cross the river had probably spread.

This place has surprisingly become somewhat lively.

Groups of merchants and a few wandering monks and Taoists were waiting for their boats in front of the temple.

Those travelers who were previously afraid of the raging streams or had heard the legend of the evil dragon devouring cattle and sheep, and who would rather take a detour of a hundred miles, now know about this shortcut.

Now that we've come and crossed the river, it's not right to leave empty-handed.

As a result, the temple gradually became more popular, and donations of incense money were made daily. Over time, it was no longer the desolate and deserted place that Jiang Yi had first seen.

Just a pity.

Although the evil dragon no longer wreaks havoc, the Third Prince is still a sinner, and will be punished by heaven.

The stream would surge and rage every few days, and no one could predict when.

As a result, although Eagle Sorrow Gorge occupies a strategic location at the crossroads of east and west, it has always been difficult for it to become a reliable ferry crossing.

Without a ferry crossing, there is no village; without a village, it is difficult to form a town.

Ultimately, it still lacked the right timing and location.

Before Jiang Yi even reached the temple, he heard several merchants waiting for their boats gathered together, their laughter carried on the wind.

"...This temple keeper is quite capable."

"Exactly. The waters of Eagle's Sorrow Gorge can capsize in an instant, and only his boat is safe to sit on."

"He's a good person; the other day, he even saved a peddler who had fallen into the water..."

Hearing this, Jiang Yi couldn't help but smile.

He didn't disturb anyone else; he simply picked up a stone outside the temple, brushed off his clothes, and sat down quietly.

Once all the people on the boat had crossed to the other side and the water had returned to stillness, Jiang Qin returned in his empty boat.

Jiang Yi then stood up, lightly touched the ground with his toes, and his body, as light as a falling leaf, floated across the water for dozens of feet and landed on the ferry.

The boat dipped slightly.

Jiang Qin seemed to sense something, turned his head to look, was first stunned, then his eyes lit up with a smile, and his voice revealed a sincere joy:
"Grandpa, you've arrived."

"Ah."

Jiang Yi nodded, scrutinizing the grandson in front of him.

After not seeing him for several years, he was a bit darker, more robust, and had a calm demeanor honed by the stream.

He laughed and said, "You're doing quite well here."

Jiang Qin chuckled, scratched his head, and displayed the shyness unique to young men:
"It's all thanks to my grandfather's good upbringing."

"Alright, enough with the formalities." Jiang Yi waved his hand. "Let's call it a day and take me back to my room to see Chao'er."

Unexpectedly, Jiang Qin shook his head with a smile.

"Chao'er isn't inside; he's still out there running wild."

As he spoke, he pushed off with a bamboo pole and gently pushed the bow of the boat, saying, "Grandson will take you to find him."

The small boat turned and once again leisurely sailed towards the opposite bank.

The waters of Eagle's Sorrow Gorge remain turbulent, with swirling undercurrents.

With a long pole in his hand, Jiang Qin would gently nudge or push the small boat, which would then glide through the waves like a butterfly flitting among flowers.

Whether it was due to his cultivation or the familiarity he had developed over the years, the boat hardly swayed at all.

As he poled the boat, he casually remarked:
"Chao'er couldn't stay in the ancestral hall; he found it boring. But there weren't many other children his age to play with, so he often ran off to play in the mountains across the stream by himself."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi looked up and gazed at the opposite bank.

The mountains are rugged and the forests are dense, looking just as desolate as the place itself, with no signs of cooking fires or houses in sight.

Before much was said, the boat gently bumped into the shore.

Jiang Qin quickly tied the cable, turned around and smiled:

"Grandpa, please rest on the boat. Your grandson will go and find him."

"I'll go instead."

Jiang Yi replied casually, and as soon as he finished speaking, his mind had already quietly opened up, like an invisible net, completely enveloping this hillside.

The breath of plants and trees, the startled birds taking their roosts, all are reflected in the lake of my heart.

In a short while, he found it.

Deep within those verdant mountains, a pure and intense aura emanated, like the breaking of dawn—it was his own great-grandson.

Beside that wisp of aura, there were still a few traces of demonic energy, but they were neither chaotic nor violent, but pure and clean.

Jiang Yi already knew what was going on, and with a swift movement, he left the ferry.

After a few leaps, it landed on the hillside like a wisp of smoke.

Following the scent, it only took a short while before the small figure was spotted in a mountain hollow.

The three-year-old child, with delicate features, wearing a slightly worn little cloth shirt, was riding on the back of a black bear the size of a millstone, his eyes crinkling with laughter.

With Jiang Yi's current spiritual cultivation, one could see from afar a faint golden mark floating between his brows, like the rising sun, its brightness shifting with his emotions, sometimes dazzling, sometimes dim.

Beside it, there was a gray wolf, its tongue lolling out and its tail wagging happily;
On the other side, a large white snake coiled on the blue stone, its head held high, its tongue flicking in and out. It was not cold at all, but rather showed a hint of cleverness.

These three demons all possessed extraordinary auras.

Although they have not yet taken human form, they have all developed intelligence.

Especially that black bear, with its calm demeanor and deep foundation, it's likely that after a few more years, it will be close to the threshold of human transformation.

Right now, one sees a person and three demons, getting along very intimately.

With a flick of Jiang Chao's finger, the wolf stood upright and, mimicking a human, spun around.

With a slight pout of its small mouth, the white flower snake twisted its body on the ground, drawing several crooked flower shapes.

The black bear lowered its body, letting the child ride on it, occasionally shaking itself, which elicited a burst of clear laughter from the child that echoed for a long time in the mountain valley.

(End of this chapter)